Relic of an Emissary (洪武三十二)

English Name: Relic Of An Emissary

Chinese Name: 洪武三十二

Genre: Wuxia, Mystery Thriller and Historical Fiction

Network: TVB

Episodes: 30


Cast:


Kate Tsui as Shum Chin-Sam and Wong Chor-Chor

Elanne Kong as Wing Yeung Princess (Chu Ying)

Michael Tse as Ngo Siu-Fung

Yoyo Chen as Luk Yuen-Ting

Joe Ma as Prince Yin (Chu Tai)

Sammul Chan as Ma Sam-Po

Ruco Chan as Prince Ning (Chu Kuen)

Benjamin Yuen as Lee King-Lung

Ka-Ki Leung as Ma Yan-Wai

Sire Ma as Fu Siu-Kiu

Gordon Liu as Yim-Chun

Lau Kong as Dou-Hin

Joel Chan as Kin-Man Emperor (Chu Man-Wan)


Plot:

The story begins with the sons of the Hung-mo Emperor (Hongwu) returning to the capital city as a show of filial piety to their father, who has fallen extremely ill. Secretly, the princes' are harboring intentions to succeed the throne. As a result, chaos surrounds the kingdom, and a chain of conspiracies and schemes begin occurring in the city...

While pursuing a mission, Brocade Guard captain Ngo Siu-Fung (Michael Tse) loses his memory in an accident. As he begins to slowly piece back memories of his past, he realizes that he was once a vicious, unreasonable, and merciless Brocade Guard. He decides to start anew and change his ways of style, but his colleagues are unable to see past Ngo Siu-Fung's history of cruelty, and they assign him insignificant tasks to complete. Fortunately for Ngo Siu-Fung, he saves Chu Wan-man (Joel Chan), grandson of the emperor, who has dressed himself in plain clothes to observe the commoners of the city. The two become good friends and Chu Wan-man appoints Ngo Siu-Fung as his personal bodyguard.

The emperor dies, and his posthumous edict robbed, and the kingdom is left with no heir. The princes' all desire the throne, leaving the kingdom unprotected from future attacks. Impatient, Chu Wan-man orders Ngo Siu-Fung to find the edict as soon as possible to stabilize the chaotic situation. The powerful and intelligent fourth prince, Prince Yin (Joe Ma), also sends his most trusted adviser Ma Sam-Po (Sammul Chan) to investigate the case. Fighting to retrieve the edict, Ngo Siu-Fung and Ma Sam-Po undergo a battle of wits and skill. They start an ambiguous friendship – though they see each other as equals, they are unable to work together because their loyalties lie elsewhere.

The edict is retrieved and Chu Wan-man ascends to the throne, crowned as the Kin-man Emperor. Soon after his coronation, mysterious cases begin to occur around the kingdom. Someone with an ulterior motive is intentionally framing Prince Yin of starting a coup. Though Prince Yin is later proven to be innocent, Chu Wan-man becomes really cautious of him. Aware that the new emperor has intentions in killing him, Prince Yin raises an army to overthrow him. Under the slogan of "clearing the court and pacifying national disaster" ("清君側、靖國難"), Prince Yin starts a coup d'état, that is later known to be called the Jingnan campaign.

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Grace Under Fire (女拳)

English Name: Grace Under Fire

Chinese Name: 女拳

Genre: Period Drama and Martial Arts

Network: TVB

Episodes: 32


Cast:


Bosco Wong as Lui Ching-Lung

Kenneth Ma as Yau Sam-Shui

Dominic Lam as Lui Kong

Liu Xuan as Mok Kwai-Lan

Law Lok-Lam as Mok Ping

Fala Chen as Kwai Fa

John Chiang as Wong Fei-Hung

Kenny Wong as Fok Koon-Wai

Elliot Ngok as Tong Yat-Hung

Raymond Wong as Wong Hon-Yip

Ka Ki Leung as Shuet-Kiu


Plot:

Mok Kwai-Lan (Liu Xuan) is an ordinary girl working as a water labourer in one of Guangzhou's most famous restaurants. She lives in a simple and steady lifestyle with her uncle, Mok Ping (Law Lok-lam), and Mok Ping's adopted son, Yau Sam-Shui (Kenneth Ma). She is best friends with the beautiful Kwai Fa (Fala Chen), an assistant chef working in the same restaurant as her. Longing for Kwai Fa's affections, Yau Sam-shui hopes to become a student of Wong Fei-Hung (John Chiang), the greatest martial artist of Guangzhou, in order to impress her. Mok Kwai-Lan, originally disinterested in martial arts, becomes spellbound by the sport after watching an intense fight between Wong Fei-Hung and Fok Koon-Wai (Kenny Wong).

Wong Fei-Hung is touched by Yau Sam-Shui's enthusiasm and agrees to teach him and Kwai-Lan, but Mok Ping is strongly against it. He believes they would become aggressive and domineering if they learned kung fu. Kwai-Lan disagrees and argues that kung fu is for self protection. Her unyielding determination overwhelmsMok Ping, and Kwai-Lan learns from him that she is the only descendant of the Mok Gar family fighting style. As Kwai-Lan's father died from a kung fu match, Mok Ping does not want Kwai-Lan to meet the same fate. Wong Fei-Hung sees a lot of potential in Kwai-Lan and convinces Mok Ping to teach her the styles of Mok Gar. Mok Ping finally agrees, simultaneously allowing Yau Sam-Shui to become Wong Fei-hung's student. Yau Sam-Shui, now proud and egotistical, begins abusing his newfound martial arts skill.

Meanwhile, Kwai-Lan meets the unsociable and eccentric young boxer Lui Ching-Lung (Bosco Wong) in an underground martial arts arena. As soon as she finds out that his father Lui Kong (Dominic Lam) is sick with leprosy, she immediately asks for Wong Fei-hung's help. However, Lui Kong does not appreciate Wong Fei-hung's hospitality and blames him for destroying his family. Twenty years ago, Lui Kong was once Guangzhou's champion in the Lui Gar fighting style. Wong Fei-hung, already famous for his martial arts in Foshan, challenged Lui Kong to a duel. The two swore an oath: whoever lost the duel would have to leave Guangzhou. Wong Fei-hung defeated Lui Kong, but Lui Kong's wife fell ill, postponing his leave. Wong Fei-hung, drunk from a celebratory dinner, disgraced Lui Kong in public and claimed him to be dishonourable for not keeping his promises. In a rage, Lui Kong quickly leaves the city by night with his sick wife and their infant son Ching-Lung. As a result, Lui Kong's wife died and Lui Kong contracted leprosy. From then on, Kong and Ching-Lung struggle through a life of discrimination and instability.

Lui Ching-lung, inexperienced in martial arts, seeks revenge for his father and attempts to kill Wong Fei-hung in public, but is quickly defeated by Wong Fei-hung. Wong Fei-hung, however, apologises to Lui Ching-Lung for his mistakes and advises Lui Ching-Lung to pick up more martial arts before coming back for revenge. Lui Ching-Lung is touched by Wong Fei-hung's generosity and decides to become his student. He develops a crush on Kwai-Lan, also winning the affections of Kwai-Fa, much to Yau Sam-Shui's jealousy. Lui Kong, sick and shamed by losing to Wong Fei-hung once again, attempts to commit suicide but is saved by Tong Yuet-Hang (Elliot Ngok), Guangzhou's chief commissioner. Tong Yuet-Hang talks Lui Kong in starting his life over, and suggests him to rebuild the Lui Gar martial arts school in order to compete with Wong Fei-hung's Po Chi Lam. Amidst facing the threats and attacks against Po Chi Lam, Kwai-Lan and Wong Fei-hung grow closer. Kwai-Lan not only helps Wong Fei-hung in facing Lui Kong's duel challenge, she also saves Po Chi Lam from collapsing. The two begin to fall in love, and Kwai-lan, being forty years younger than Wong Fei-hung, marries him despite Mok Ping's objections.

Jealous of Kwai Fa's love for Lui Ching-Lung and exhausted from being constantly looked down upon, Yau Sam-Shui abandons Wong Fei-hung and becomes Lui Kong's disciple, assisting Tong Yuet-Hang and Lui Kong in tarnishing Po Chi Lam's image. Wong Fei-hung, weak from an injury, is defeated from a duel against Lui Kong and loses his title as Guangzhou's number one martial artist. As he watches Tong Yuet-Hang and Lui Kong's corrupted governance over Guangzhou, Wong Fei-hung falls fatally ill. Before he dies, Wong Fei-hung teaches all his knowledge of medicine and martial arts to Kwai-lan. For more power, Yau Sam-Shui marries Tong Yuet-Hang's daughter Shuet-Kiu (Ka ki Leung). He becomes a spy for the Japanese merchant Tokugawa Kazuo and gains control of all of Tong Yuet-Hang's business and political jobs, later becoming the co-mayor of Guangzhou. The Japanese merchants and fighters gain control of Guangzhou's economy and martial arts schools, forcing Po Chi Lam out of business. In an attempt to protect himself and his daughter, Tong Yuet-Hang tries to release information of Yau Sam-Shui's secret collaborations with the Japanese to the public, but is murdered by Yau Sam-Shui before he could do so. Kwai-lan, hiding in Foshan with Lui Ching-Lung, returns to Guangzhou and wins in a fight with the Japanese martial artists, reviving the pride of Chinese martial arts. She finds evidence of Yau Sam-shui's crimes and tries to convince him back on the right path. Yau Sam-Shui, already maniacal and in a point of no return, starts a fire to burn Po Chi Lam down to the ground...

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Boys Before Flowers (꽃보다 남자)

 

English Name: Boys Before Flowers / Boys Over Flowers

Korean Name: 꽃보다 남자

Genre: Romance and Comedy

Network: KBS2

Episodes: 25

Cast:

Kim Bum as So Ji-Yung

Lee Min Ho as Goo Joon-Pyo

Kim Joon as Song Woo-Bin

Koo Hye Sun as Guem Jan-Di

Lee Si Young as Oh Min-Ji

Kim So Eun as Chu Ga-Eul

Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji-Hoo

Kim Hyun Joo as Goo Joon-Hee

Lee Si Young as Oh Min-Ji

Lee Hye Young as Kang Hee Soo

Han Chae Young as Min Seo-Hyun

Lee Min Jung as Ha Jae-Kyung

Kim Ki Bang as Bom Chun Sik

Plot:

Geum Jan-Di (Koo Hye Sun) is an average girl whose family owns a dry cleaning store located near the luxurious and very well known Shin Hwa College. Geum Jan-Di meets the four richest and most spoiled boys known as the F4. After saving a boy from jumping off the roof of Shinhwa High School, she is admitted into the school on a swimming scholarship. Geum Jan-Di tries to avoid confrontation with the F4 at all cost because she knows what happens to those that stand against them. However, when Geum Jan Di's friend, Oh Min-Ji (Lee Si Young), accidentally gets ice cream on the leader of the F4's shoes, she's forced to declare war on the leader of the F4, Goo Joon Pyo (Lee Min Ho). What will happen though, when she falls in love with someone from the F4 and Goo Joon Pyo start feeling something for her too? Will the love triangle disrupt F4 and change their lives forever?

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Fated To Love You (命中注定我愛你)

 

English Name: Fated To Love You 

Taiwanese Name: 命中注定我愛你

Genre: Romance and Comedy

Network: TTV / SETTV

Episodes: 24


Cast:


Baron Chen as Dylan

Bianca Bai as Anna 

Ethan Ruan as Ji Cun-Xi

Chen Qiao En as Chen Xin-Yi

Lin Mei Xiu as Chen Lin Xi Shi

Song Xin Ni as Chen Qing-Xia

Zhong Xin Ling as Wu Chen Feng Jiao

Chen Wei Min as Wu Qi-Qi

Na Wei Xun as Anson

Tian Jia Da as Ji Zheng-Ren


Plot:


A really unfashionable working class girl, Chen Xin-Yi (Chen Qiao En) has the desire to tie down her handsome boyfriend to be with her. Due to certain reasons, her boyfriend gets her to go on a love cruise and she started to ponder on how to lose her virginity and tie down her boyfirend. Chen Xin-Yi ended up taking cols medicine which made her drowsy and went into Ji Cun-Xi's (Ethan Ruan) room. Ji Cun-Xi is the sole male heir to his family's company and has been in love with his girlfriend, Anna (Bianca Bai), for a long time. He planned to propose to Anna on the boat but she didn't turn up on the cruise. An island owner added drugs into Ji Cun-Xi's drink and Ji Cun-Xi became disorientated and returned to his own room. Chen Xin-Yi and Ji Cun-Xi end up having a one night stand. Chen Xin-Yi later finds out that she's pregnant and Ji Cun Xi's grandmother forces them to get married. Will a couple forced to marry for the sake of their unborn child find love with each other?


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